By Anchor Writers

Machakos Governor Wavinya Ndeti has moved to project confidence and defend her administration’s record on nurses’ welfare, even as the strike by the Kenya National Union of Nurses  (KNUN) continues to cripple services in county hospitals.

In a detailed statement posted on her Facebook page, Wavinya outlined what she termed as “tremendous gains” made in the past two years through what she called cordial relations and constructive engagement with the union.

She cited a string of employment and promotion milestones, noting that in 2023, 132 of the 422 health workers promoted were nurses, and in 2024, her government recruited 57 more.

This year, she added, 183 nurses have been employed and deployed across the county, while between February and May alone, 231 nurses across all cadres were promoted. “Recruitment of an additional 42 nurses is currently underway,” she claimed as she sought to shift public opinion in her favour.

She further pledged immediate promotions for all nurses with over seven years of service, with the remainder scheduled for advancement in the 2026/2027 financial year.

“We urge union leaders to recognize the tremendous gains made in Machakos over the past two years regarding their welfare. We have dignity and values to uphold, and saving lives remains our foremost commitment,” Wavinya stated, adding that she remains committed to dialogue and to pursuing a phased settlement of nurses’ demands “in the shortest time possible.”

Governor Aspirant Nzioka Waita separately slammed the Wavinya administration, saying it had failed desperately to discharge the healthcare mandate bestowed upon the devolved unit.

The governor’s remarks come as her County Secretary Muia Ndambuki and Health Minister Justus Kasivu make frantic efforts to broker a deal with the striking nurses, while trying to project a “business as usual” image in county health facilities.

But despite the assurances, the reality on the ground tells a different story. Public hospitals remain without adequate nursing staff, patients are being turned away or left unattended, and pressure is mounting on the county to find a breakthrough. For now, the nurses’ strike shows no signs of easing — and Wavinya’s combative defence of her administration’s record suggests the dispute may be far from over.

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